Mid morning we went ashore, paying twenty dollars for use of the marina facilities for the day including mooring the dinghy, use of a swimming pool with Jacuzzi and also bicycles, which we all thought was excellent value. Despite Kath not having been on a bike for fifty years we found ourselves getting fixed  up and setting out, it is true what they say, you do not forget how to ride a bike once learnt.  First point of interest was the alligator pool where a notice warning not to feed the alligators was prominent, the only alligator on view did not seem at all interested in us.

We then found the historic district where the Jekyll Club Hotel was surrounded by ‘cottages’ built by the wealthy including the Rockefellers, Morgans and Vanderbilts, as holiday homes, two ladies dressed in tennis whites were playing croquet on the lawn in front of the hotel, it all looked very opulent and elegant. We speculated that the cottages may be used as holiday lets although they seemed to be empty and shut up at the moment. After lunch we set off for the beach and found a way down a vehicle access point. The beach was immense and seemed to go on forever, there was  a sprinkling of holiday makers indulging in the usual beach activities and we rode along the beach for a good mile before stopping for our Atlantic dip, a welcome opportunity to cool off as it was extremely hot with little wind. Once dried off we carried on along the beach for some way before finding a boardwalk which afforded an escape from the beach, snag was it ended in a steep downward ramp which led to Kath going too fast, crashing into Kay’s bike at the bottom of the ramp and ending up in what John called ‘a heap of ladies and bikes’. Luckily there was no harm done and we were able to pick ourselves up and continue although a rather spectacular bruise appeared on Kath’s arm the next day. Back at the marina we all had welcome showers and even more welcome cold drinks at Sea Jays.

The evening was spent on board, Kay cooked an omelette for supper and we did some blog catch up!

Proof that you never forget how to ride a bike                             off into the woods

Fortunately it didn't approach us

Historic cottage                                                                                  which way do we go next?

JP Morgan's holiday cottage                                                               there was no end to the grandeur

Jekyll Island club (now a hotel)                                                              croquet on the lawn

we made it up the avenue                                                                   Italianate look to this one

It's bad enough having to vacuum the inside of your house                          American lunch

Hard sand, no people - what more could cyclists want

John making sure Kath came to no harm                                            JT strips off for another swim             

the first three in                                                                       the water was rather murky but warm in parts

miles of woodland paths                                                                             moments before the big crash

and Kath's bruise                                                                    Spanish moss at the marina swimming pool

Back to Moorglade                                         and the end of a splendid day